The Project basically begun in 90´s when I resigned at the state agro coop as the head vegetable farmer,
facing the dilemma of how to continue my dream of becoming a vegetable farmer which I had since the 6th grade.
That time begun the debate about ecological production,
considering that mainly vegetables, which were my professional speciality,
are most sensitive to the use of agro-chemicals.
Firstly, I realised that farming without herbicides demands so much manual labour that one person can´t handle.
Secondly, I knew from experience, that farming vegetables with employees is very hard.
And to do it ecologically is basically impossible, because sometimes even I am not strong enough to put the theory into reality.
And so gradually, those differences of professional and ethical character,
considering my aviation model hobby, where I used my technological and innovative abilities..
...gradually combining it together: a professional vegetable producer,
ethically refusing to use agro-chemicals,
and a model airplane constructor who could build his own gadgets that could replace the hoe,
designed a system that should be able to stop soil degradation immediately,
and liberate the peasant from hard manual labour which in ecological agriculture is guaranteed automatically,
and can very intensively destroy the initial enthusiasm and idealism.
So, daydreaming about it all the time, desperate to find a solution...
I saw a travelogue film on TV from Ladakh (India)
they showed a scene of a town square with a fixed pin in the ground,
surrounded by a field of grain,
there was an Indian bull with long horns tied to the center point.
That´s when "the bull hit me"!
If I put the machines on a bridge construction,
and design the kinematics so that the arm moves in a spiral,
it would do the work for me!
And so I created the first prototype, which you can see, 20 years ago.
...water flows into the lower part, the electricity into this circle gatherer and the current goes into the propelling unit that moves the bridge
So when the bridge is spinning around this fixed point and the arm is moving,
the perimeter of this disc sets the spirals density.
A deviation tolerance between the lines depends on the chain volatility which is zero. Zero point zero!
It is based on a mechanical principle, so it is reliable and economically affordable,
and it can be build in amateur conditions with the user-friendliness of having even a remote control.
I am standing on a field near Senec which is officially mine and so,
we can realise a small family farm focused on bio-vegetable production,
with a mechanical system on a 21th century level.
We are here, near Senec, for 8 years now which is proven on some paprika fields that you will see..
The transition from conventional cultivated soil to biologically active soil,
takes two rotations of the sowing system: 8 to 12 years
You can see it on our farm that after 8 years some signs can be seen, that
the soil, the nature and the settings, thanks to this system and our approach finally start to cooperate with us.
The first moment is the design of a technologically, agronomically and methodologically tested process of vegetable production in bio-quality,
where the risk rate in the first 8 to 12 years is 70%
As hard it is to grow, as hard it is to sell.
I am not a sales man. I would just like to give them the yield
and receive so much money that I can live peacefully and my wife would not leave me.
...a 2 hectares farm with 15 fields and 5 bridge systems with moving arms,
one heavy hoer, two light ones, active gates, a sower, a weeding tool and seedling inserter..
...water and electricity distribution...
It can by build by oneself for 60.000€... ...money that I don´t have...
Somehow it works so that when you have too many problems you get an orientation that will solve them all.
In my case, it was meeting with
the already deceased Karol Končko, a Nestor of Permaculture, who brought it from England to Slovakia.
In discussions with him, I first heared the english term: Community Supported Agriculture.
Thats when it downed on me that a small family farm,
the producer in direct contact with the consumer
who don´t know how, can not or will not, farm themselves,
arrange mutually beneficial conditions, gather capital so that the farmer is able to work
and he gives them back a yield in bio quality for a conventional price.
That is the base of the model.
When I presented my system I found 633 people interested and willing to contribute.
Then the initial enthusiasm had to be dissected into small steps
where you have to tell me in advance, as if you would have your own garden,
what kind of vegetables, when and how much you need,
so I can design the sowing plans.
So I created a excel sheet with weeks and amounts, and a guide about what and when is naturally grown or stored.
...and nobody was able and willing to fill out this form.
One lady even said: "Mr. Slinsky, you are an opponent of bureaucracy,
but I have never seen a more complicated form to fill in my life".
So from 633 people, where all they had to do is fill out the number of family members and it would automatically generate the number according to exerts,
only 311 were willing to fill it out.
For my consumers, I only needed a third of the costs to get the tested prototypes working,
which we calculated to be 350€ per person.
From 633 only 311 were willing to fill out the form
and willing to pay were only 8.
Which practically meant, just as I was warned, that people will only talk about great things but never actually do anything.
They always expect somebody else to pick the chestnuts from the fire,
observing from distance, maybe criticise or advise what and how to do, which to pick first..
So I got a nice hit that shocked me...
Then something happened,
a moment, when some people saw it on TV with a celebrity they admired, suddenly it was attractive again.
So, after the initial disappointment when we couldn´t transform the machinery from the improvisational phase into a professional production phase,
another group was created. The idea spread more, so I presented the system again and contacted all the previous members.
And so, after one year, we were able to assemble 58 families who filled out the forms and collected the capital
thanks to which I was able to transform my improvised prototypes into a reliable and safe production.
It is like "training on the battlefield": We have to test, but also need to produce, and sell...
Fortunately our group developed a healthy core, that helps when we are fed up with all possible complications
the contact with people that support us, believe in us, gives us strength to continue.
Today, in my opinion, the next development of organic vegetable farming is only possible on the base of a large number of small family farms,
interconnected and cooperating, not competing, each with its own customers
And on this idea we are developing a complex system called Agrokruh
where agronomic and technical issues are more or less solved...
...on a small 2 hectares family farm, our Agrokruh system with 53 botanical species..
Who can not effort an employee - that´s why this technology was created.
It is a private family farm... we need to address the segregation issue of the landowners in Slovakia,
but more importantly, we need to solve the issue of generational continuity.
Because preparing the soil for 8 to 12 years, practically means that I maybe won´t be here when it all becomes biologically active again.
So, if I don´t have a successor/a son, who wants to continue voluntarily and with joy, the project ends.
So, generational continuity...
Here only one person works, but it is three of us:
The Father who created it, the Son who learns it and The Holy Spirit who helps them to cope with each other and to persevere.
It is a family farm model without employees..
From Permaculture I was mostly inspired by my the personal contact with Karol Končka.
He used to say: Permaculture is not about agro-sustainability.
It is the design of long term sustainable residences, accepting and balancing all ecological, economical and social aspects.
I carefully avoid all "-isms" and strict definitions of what is or is not permaculture...
Working and functional models that satisfy groups of people,
not being a burden for the environment or creating conflict between them...
Fortunately, in Permaculture literature sources I found the most inspirations for this construction,
but I avoid strict categorisation of what is and what´s not exactly permaculture.
It works or it doesn´t!
If it works and has enough benefits, lets do it, and you can call it as you like.
Good people in a good country, gathering around good food that´s what I call a good life.
And when I see some signs that it´s happening, I feel stronger and happier.
And gives me strength when we don´t have rain or some arrogant bureaucrat upsets me
with some imbecile regulation that can not possibly work... not clear why they demand it...
...well, we know but I would rather not say because they will call me a conspirator..
On the field and in contact with the people you can achieve a balance
not being too idealistic too radical, creating a balance.
That´s what gives me a good feeling that I am not doing something vain.
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